Warming Up
by karly05
Summary: Follow-up to The Kiss. Ferb & Vanessa are chatting and snuggling preparatory to taking a Big Step. Advisories inside, please read.


**A/N: I started writing this on a whim a week ago, and have struggled over how to rate it: There is no questionable language, and we don't see anything beyond some fully-clothed snuggling on the couch, but Ferb and Vanessa are on the brink of serious intimacy, and are having a preliminary conversation about it. They are not married, so if that's a concern for you, you may want to skip this one. (And, to be clear, I have decreed that 16 is the legal age of consent in the Tri-State Area and wherever Vanessa is going to college.)**

**If you're still with me, please go read "The Kiss" first, if you haven't. I also refer back to a conversation in Chapter 5 of "Good Old-Fashioned Fun," so you might want to read that, too (especially if you'd prefer some more innocent F&V sweetness).**

**Thanks and apologies to Dan Povenmire & Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, who own these characters.**

Warming Up

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-winter, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz was relaxing on the couch in the living room of her bungalow. Boots off, she was sitting sideways, with her back against the rolled arm, and her legs draped across the lap of a tall, slender young chap, notable for his square nose and charmingly touseled head of green hair. He held her lightly, one arm around her shoulders, his other hand resting on her hip. They had been in this position for several minutes, warming each other up from the outside chill by exchanging kisses.

In the three months or so since Ferb's sixteenth birthday, he had acquired a driver's license and a self-restored set of wheels, and he and Vanessa had been seeing each other regularly. She could have happily done without telling her parents about this, but he had insisted that, if they were going to pursue this romance, they needed to be open about it with their families. Her Dad had ranted and railed; he didn't like this kid, he had a weird accent, he drove a hot rod, he had _green __hair_, for crying out loud, which was probably symptomatic of some genetic mutation that would lead to two-headed, three-legged grandchildren. Eventually he had to admit, though, that this boy made his Baby Girl happy, and treated her with the tender respect she deserved, and that was the important thing. It also didn't hurt that Ferb allowed him to blather to his heart's content without interrupting or trying to change the subject. Mr. Fletcher had hesitated only because he feared that his son was rushing into something that would leave him heartbroken, but once he learned how well and how long Ferb and Vanessa had known each other, he quickly came around. It was the two mothers who fretted over the age difference between them, but Charlene knew that Linda's son was a sweet kid, and Linda could see that Charlene's daughter adored her little boy. Besides, Linda acknowledged, Ferb always had been mature for his age, so his falling for someone older wasn't a complete surprise.

This morning, Ferb had driven the three hours to the college town where Vanessa was attending the State University. He had treated her to lunch at her favorite neighborhood café, before they had retired to her rented home for the afternoon. No one else knew what they were planning, but they had had this date scheduled for a couple of weeks. Vanessa had assumed that, when they reached this point in their relationship, it would be in a rush of unstoppable passion, impulsive and unexpected. Considering her boyfriend's fondness for blueprints, though, she should have guessed that he would prefer to have things carefully planned out. And, to be honest, she found his approach comforting.

Now, Ferb's nose was in her hair, and his warm breath was on her neck. He was nibbling at her with his lips in a way that sent the most delicious shivers through her and forced an audible sigh from her throat. That remarkable voice, deep and tender, snuggled into her ear. "Vanessa…"

He seemed never to grow tired of saying her name. Which was a good thing, because she never grew tired of hearing him say it. Now, he stopped nibbling long enough to nudge her into looking at him. His eyes were heavy-lidded and dreamy, reflecting the way hers felt. Behind his quiet expression, she could almost see him searching for words then arranging and rearranging them in his mind. Smiling at him, she reached for his cheek, and brushed her thumb along the line of his mouth, coaxing him to speak.

His thoughts came out reduced to: "I've never done this before."

He didn't need to explain what he meant by 'this.' And, frankly, she would have been surprised if he had done it before. Not because of his age; Vanessa hadn't forgotten what sixteen year old boys could be like. But she knew that Ferb wasn't one to take this sort of thing lightly, that he required a foundation of mutual love and trust before he would ever take such a life-changing step. And he had made it clear that, from the summer they had first met, nearly six years ago, he had never so much as thought of loving anyone but her.

She had learned from his example that words weren't always needed to communicate, and she was growing more and more accustomed to a shared language of looks and touches between them. Now, her fingers wandered into the green locks of his hair, and brushed one back from his forehead.

He smiled slightly at the comforting gesture, and said, "I want you to teach me."

"Oh, I think you're doing just fine on your own," she replied, feeling a tinge of pink creep into her cheeks.

It was funny, as quiet as he could be, he could also talk a blue streak when he was motivated. "But, I want to do this properly," he insisted. "Tell me everything you like. Or don't like. I want to make this – well, I know it won't be perfect," he admitted; "not at first. But, I'd like it to be satisfactory for you, at least."

Vanessa dropped her head onto his shoulder and snuggled against him. Sometimes, she started to forget the age difference between them, then something like this would bring it all back to her. "Ferb… _I_ don't even know everything I like. I was hoping you could help me figure that out." She raised her head and looked at him before she said, "I've never done this before, either."

He tried to mask the flicker of surprise in his eyes, but she caught it all the same.

"Forgive me," he stammered. "I didn't mean to imply…"

She laid a finger on his lips. "Yes, you did. And it's all right," she assured him. "Most girls my age would have been in a serious relationship or two by now. I haven't had another real 'boyfriend' since I broke up with Johnny in high school. And we never got that far." Ferb hadn't known about Johnny until after that relationship was over. Vanessa had never gone into detail about it, and Ferb was too much of a gentleman to press her. Now, however, might be a good time to explain. "It's kind of a funny story," she began, idly rubbing his back with one hand. When he gave her a curious look that said, _Go __on_, she took the invitation.

"The day you built the Pleasure Garden, and I told you I didn't like coasters – I said I'd been hassled into riding the Velocimangler at World of Thrills. That was Johnny. He kept telling me it was no big deal, and I was ruining everyone's fun because I was too scared to go on some lame ride. When it was over, I was shaking so bad, I could hardly stand. Lacey had to hold my hair back while I threw up in a trash can. And all he did was roll his eyes and say, 'Geez, Vanessa, it wasn't _that_ bad.'"

Ferb cuddled her close and kissed her forehead, calming her, and this made her smile; he seemed to instinctively know how to soothe her whenever she was out of sorts. Going on, she said, "And then, a few weeks later, when I was nervous about getting on a simple little pony ride…" She looked at him and caressed the back of his neck. "You were so sweet and gentle about it. You have no idea what that meant to me." He was stroking her hair as she said, "The point is – before that day at World of Thrills, I was honestly ready to let Johnny – " She didn't feel like saying it. "He never knew what he missed out on by dragging me on that stupid ride."

"It was his loss," Ferb murmured against the top of her head. "He didn't deserve you."

"I should have broken up with him that day," she acknowledged. "But, he didn't say any more about it, and I still thought I was in love with him. But, we never…" She hadn't meant to go on like this. "Wow, that wasn't a funny story at all, was it? I'm just lucky I didn't do anything really stupid back then. After that, I swore I would wait until I was absolutely certain I was with the right man." She kissed his cheek, and nuzzled his ear as she whispered to him, "The truth is, Ferbouche… I've been waiting for _you_."

He surprised her by flinching at this declaration and remarking, almost sarcastically – a trait she feared he had picked up from her – "Oh, lovely, no pressure there."

"I didn't plan it," she explained. "It was just that – well, I never met another guy who could measure up to you."

Ferb blinked at this, and the look in his eyes, half amused, half abashed, made Vanessa realize how her choice of words had come across. She stifled a chuckle as she assured him, "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. For today – let's just try to relax and have fun. We'll have plenty of time ahead of us to 'perfect' things."

Ferb responded by sliding one arm under her knees and the other down her back, scooping her up and lifting her fully onto his lap. He cradled her there as she ran her hand up his chest and over his shoulder. She had already noticed that he was much stronger than his slim build might suggest; all those years of power tools and construction projects had really paid off for him. Now, he held her close, drawing her into a soft, warm, lingering kiss. As Vanessa melted into him, her thoughts rushed back to their first adventure together, chasing the rare Vessel of Pizzazium around the Temple of Unbridled Consumerism. She could not have imagined then that their paths would lead them here, but, looking back, she could see that Ferb had been a quiet, steady presence in her life from that day on. Catching her when she fell, liberating her when she was trapped, listening when she needed an ear and a word of wisdom – and always, once he had given her exactly what she needed, she had walked away from him, with a quick, "Thanks, Ferb," and maybe a kiss on the cheek. _No __more_, thought Vanessa. From this day on, there would be no more walking away. She would be there for him, to catch him, to liberate him, to listen to him – whatever he needed, she would give with all her heart.

When they paused for breath, she murmured, "Ferb… I think…" Vanessa had no intention of disconcerting him further, but she wanted him to hear this. "I think I've been in love with you almost as long as you've been in love with me. Oh, not _that_ way," she said, hastily. "You were just a kid back then. But, there was always something about you… You were smarter and more mature at ten than a lot of adults I know, and you were always so," she fished for a word and came up with, "_courtly_. I've always known I could trust you. You made me want to open up to you, when I didn't want to open up to anyone. You are the most remarkable person I have ever known, and I have never been happier than when I'm with you. That is why I love you, Ferb Fletcher." She softly kissed the corner of his mouth, then confessed, with a teasing smile: "That – and I have always been a pushover for your accent."

THE END

**A/N: I highly recommend you find and watch the "Character Commentary" version of "Chronicles of Meap" (it's on You Tube) – Doofenshmirtz and Monogram narrate the episode, and there is a hilarious running gag of Doof going on about how he doesn't like "the green-haired kid," culminating in the "Ride From Outer Space" scene, where Ferb, in the tricked-out spaceship, pauses to flirt with Vanessa. Monogram gives Doof a hard time about how "the little green-haired guy is picking up on your daughter," and Doof rants about how this "hoodlum" is completely inappropriate for Vanessa and had better stay away from her. Funny stuff.**


End file.
